Who We Are

Board of Directors

In the Fall of 2013, Maria Atkinson left her home of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and set out for Haiti to begin an adventure she was quite unprepared for.

Having little prior knowledge of the country, culture or language, she started working as a non-profit, missionary photographer. From the northern streets of Cap-Haitien, to the rural mountain villages of the southeast, Maria realized she longed to make a deeper investment into the lives of the Haitian people.

In the summer of 2014, Maria began to discover the sheer tragic realities of countless women in Haiti. From rape and abuse, to the contracting of HIV/AIDS and prostitution, Haitian women have been placed at a great disadvantage and Maria knew something had to be done. It was then that the vision for a women’s transitional, restoration home began to take shape in Jacmel, Haiti.

Jasper House Haiti is what Maria describes as, "the reason God brought her to Haiti." To provide a place of refuge for young women who have endured unthinkable hardship to find peace and begin to discover a true sense of freedom, purpose and empowerment.

To learn how you can play an active role in Jasper House Haiti, please visit ourGet Involved page.

James and Rachelle Metcalf

James and Rachelle Metcalf have had a heart and passion for Haiti since their very first trip in 2010. Since then, they have visited a total of sixteen times and served in various capacities. Rachelle is a licensed counselor who has always desired to use her education and abilities to serve women who have been victims of sexual violence and human trafficking. James is a skilled craftsman and owner of Absolute Tile & Floors, with a passion to use his trade to provide education and empowerment. Rachelle is the Chairwoman of the Jasper House Haiti Board of Directors, and James serves as a Board Advisor. They live in Norman, Oklahoma with their three daughters.

Deirdre Flynn Fentem

If there were two words to describe Deirdre, they would be "passion," and "justice." Deirdre has devoted the past several years of her life to fighting against the injustices of sexual abuse and human trafficking. She spent a year living full-time in Thailand, working with an organization to help prevent child trafficking, and has spoken out on numerous platforms against these atrocities. She was a forerunner in the development and promotion of End Sex Trafficking Day, and now uses her public relations company, Little Red Promotions, to advocate for causes such as Jasper House Haiti. Deirdre serves the Jasper House Board of Directors as Deputy Chair, helping us to stay on task, and advocating at large in the United States and Canada. She and her husband, Nick, reside in Denver, Colorado.

Samuel Cornthwaite

As a young, world changer himself, Samuel is the Founder and Executive Director of both GoodWorks Coffee & Tea and GoodWorks Orphan Care, to help create vocational training opportunities to empower Chinese orphans living with disabilities, who have aged out of the system. Samuel has offered his education and experience in the non-profit and social business world to help develop many of the systems now being implemented within Jasper House Haiti. He is a great partner and friend, and this is only the beginning of journey for the Jasper House and GoodWorks partnership. Samuel sits on the Jasper House Haiti Board of Directors and a Chair Officer, providing business advice and consultation.

Pastors Phillip & Melba Castillo

For the past two decades, Pastors Phillip and Melba Castillo have dedicated their lives and ministry to seeing lives ransacked by addiction, transformed and renewed. They are the Executive Pastors of Word of God Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and run My Brother's Keeper, a ministry to provide healing and restoration to individuals recovering from addiction. They serve as the Vice-Chairman and Secretary Treasurer of the Jasper House Haiti Board of Directors, and provide financial oversight, spiritual encouragement, and guidance.